ROCKINGHAM — It looks like Richmond County will be saved from most of Hurricane Helene’s effects, but it could still rain a lot.
From Thursday at 6 p.m. to Friday at 6 p.m., the National Weather Service in Raleigh has put out a 24-hour flood watch.
The following counties are under that watch: Orange, Durham, Davidson, Randolph, Chatham, Wake, Johnston, Stanly, Montgomery, Moore, Lee, Harnett, Anson, Richmond, Scotland, Hoke, Cumberland, and Sampson.
It’s going to rain about 1.5 inches across most of the area during this storm. Graphics from the National Hurricane Center show that there is a 15% chance of flash floods in the area.
Most of Richmond County is in the minor risk zone for too much rain. The northwest tip of the county, along with Stanly and Montgomery counties and the western halves of Anson and Moore counties, is in the slight risk zone.
People living west of I-85 say they’ve already seen up to four inches of rain, and they could get up to a foot more before the storm is over.
From midnight to 6 p.m. Friday, there will also be a wind warning for the area. Winds from the southeast will blow 20 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph.
The NWS says, “Winds will pick up overnight and reach their strongest by mid to late morning.” The winds will slowly die down Friday night.
As of 4 p.m., Richmond Schools had not said that any classes would be closed or delayed on Friday.
At the moment, Hurricane Helene is a Category 3 storm.
As of 3 p.m., the National Hurricane Center said the storm was about 195 miles south of Apalachicola, Florida. It was moving 25 mph northeast to north-northeast and had winds of up to 120 mph at its strongest.
The storm might be as strong as a Category 4 storm when it hits land along Florida’s Big Bend.
WLOS-TV in Asheville reports that many roads in western North Carolina are closed, including parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway. People who live along the French Broad or Swannanoa Rivers are being asked to leave on their own.
The outside bands of Helene go from Cuba to the southern part of Ohio.
In the last two months, this is the third tropical storm to hit the state.
Stormy Weather Early in August, Debby dumped more than 5 inches of rain on the county. Less than two weeks ago, a storm that was never named flooded parts of Brunswick and New Hanover counties on the coast.